Home hair cutting advice from Taupō stylist Sarah Hillier

HOME HAIRDRESSING TIP No. 1: Anya Cosh knows her hair cut will be awesome because her mum is a stylist! Photo / Supplied

A four-day-old baby isn't stopping Taupō's Sarah Hillier from having gorgeous hair.

The hair stylist and owner of Aura Hair Spa says the lockdown is a great time to focus on great hair condition and style.

"Have a break from blow drying. Go into the back of your cupboard and find the salon treatment you bought and never used, and use it."

Her advice for anyone despairing of the state of their hair is to use the lockdown time to learn how to master their styling skills. Her big message is, do not cut or colour your hair at home!

"It's much better to wait and look after your hair during the shut down. Then you can go back to your stylist with your hair in really good condition and they will be able to do a lot more."

She points out the economic benefits to letting your hair grow naturally over the lockdown.

"It's cheaper to have a bigger regrowth application than fix a colour you have done at home, said Ms Hillier.

Fixing a home haircut can sometimes be worse than fixing a home hair colour, as you have to wait for it to grow.

"If you cut your fringe halfway up your forehead, the only fix is time," said Ms Hillier.

DON'T CUT OR COLOUR YOUR HAIR AT HOME: Aura Hair Spa owner Sarah Hillier with four day old baby Isla.

Pregnancy created an uncertain outcome with her own hair colour, and Ms Hillier currently sports an inch and a half of regrowth. But she says doing her hair in the morning makes her feel good and is ignoring the regrowth.

"It doesn't matter about the regrowth or the longer hair. If it's the difference between wearing pajamas all day or feeling like you all day, then do your hair."

And her advice for video conferencing is to get the best camera angle.

During the lockdown Ms Hillier has taken the clippers to partner Troy Hillard and is negotiating with her little boy Isaac who has been asked to think about a little shave with the clippers.

She says with a new baby, being in lockdown has been a blessing as it gives them time to be together as a family. Recovering from a caesarean section at home, Ms Hillier says the hardest part about the birth was that her partner Troy had to leave right after Isla was born and she was left without a support person.

"I would not have been able to cope with a C-section if it had been my first baby. For a first-time mum it would have been really, really rough."

Having more or less left her own hair alone in the last few months due to her pregnancy, Sarah says she is looking forward to letting her hair grow out and letting the colour grow out.

"As for my hair, I have the rest of lockdown to work out what my new hair style will be."

Three reasons to not cut or colour your hair at home

Apart from the risk of a terrible haircut or a surprise hair colour, home hairdressing can be very stressful.

1) What a stylist can do in 10 minutes may take the home hairdresser half an hour. Children can become anxious and either cry for the last 15 minutes or the haircut may have to be abandoned.

2) Stylists have the knack of containing the mess, while the home hairdresser may well end up with hair all over the floor and colour splattered on the walls. Be prepare to repaint your walls!

3) Stylists only cut the hair, while the home hairdresser may easily knick an ear, amping up the tension for everyone.